Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between McKinney, TX and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,798 in McKinney, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in McKinney, TX
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McKinney, TX Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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McKinney, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,798

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in McKinney, TX and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in McKinney, TX and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,798 in McKinney, TX versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

McKinney, TX $2,798
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,731 in McKinney, TX versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

McKinney, TX $3,731
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,663 in McKinney, TX versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

McKinney, TX $4,663
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in McKinney, TX is roughly 7% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: McKinney, TX 106% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 $18.76

$20.35 $20.35

-7.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 $60.8

$84.7 $84.7

-28.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 $11.03

$12.12 $12.12

-8.99%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$5.65 $5.65

-12.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.68 $3.68

-30.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.36 $2.36

-21.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$7.87 $7.87

-22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 $7.54

$8.82 $8.82

-14.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.14 $1.14

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.69 $3.69

-24.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.31 $3.31

-33.53%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$4.15 $4.15

-2.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 $10.09

$12.98 $12.98

-22.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$13.86 $13.86

13.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$16.34 $16.34

3.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.69 $4.69

-32.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.45 $1.45

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$5.11 $5.11

-42.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$4.52 $4.52

-43.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.08 $3.08

-29.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.38 $2.38

-12.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.80 $1.80

-0.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.22 $2.22

31.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$9.97 $9.97

0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.45 $11.45

$15.05 $15.05

-23.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.91 $2.91

-39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.33 $3.33

11.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.22 $1.22

149.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$190 $190

$40.53 $40.53

369.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.78 $2.78

8.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.07 $15.07

$35.39 $35.39

-57.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.95 $0.95

-7.37%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.9K $26.9K

$34.2K $34.2K

-21.38%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.7K $24.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-7.86%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$205 $205

$223 $223

-8.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.2 $58.2

$58.5 $58.5

-0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$71.2 $71.2

-4.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.56 $29.56

$53.0 $53.0

-44.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.81 $12.81

$16.75 $16.75

-23.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$14.06 $14.06

-14.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,174 $1,174

$1,459 $1,459

-19.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 $56.3

$52.5 $52.5

7.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.56 $28.56

$42.75 $42.75

-33.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$86.4 $86.4

-0.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 $59.3

$104 $104

-42.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 $1,675

$2,112 $2,112

-20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 $1,426

$1,230 $1,230

15.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,638 $2,638

$3,863 $3,863

-31.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 $1,727

$2,407 $2,407

-28.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,318 $2,318

$7,426 $7,426

-68.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 $2,284

$3,060 $3,060

-25.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,808 $5,808

$5,179 $5,179

12.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.82

-4.55%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for McKinney, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

McKinney, TX

$1.4K 51%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 13.7% $196

Groceries & Markets

McKinney, TX

$372 13.3%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 10.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

McKinney, TX

$331 11.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 6.5% $22

Eating Out

McKinney, TX

$306 10.9%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 13.8% $42

Getting Around

McKinney, TX

$206 * 7.4%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 72.5% $149

Clothing & Footwear

McKinney, TX

$104 3.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 23.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

McKinney, TX

$53 1.9%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 51.7% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,675 in McKinney, TX and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

McKinney, TX pays 12% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in McKinney, TX vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $410 per month, with McKinney, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 McKinney, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

Same time as McKinney, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,690

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

McKinney, TX Austin, TX 340 km

From you

McKinney, TX
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

McKinney, TX vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in McKinney, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% higher in McKinney, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,675 in McKinney, TX versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,798 per month in McKinney, TX versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 79% less than in McKinney, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, McKinney, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.